1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of software and electronic business, and more particularly, to a system and a method for providing customer relationship management.
2. Description of the Related Art
Businesses constantly strive for customer approval and satisfaction. One method businesses can use to differentiate themselves from each other is through customer relationship management (CRM) services. By providing additional product information, personalized customer incentive plans and product support, businesses hope to build and sustain long-term customer loyalty. These services, however, are often expensive to implement. Further complicating matters is the tendency of customers to interact with a business using multiple mediums or distribution channels.
Distribution channels for business products can include but are not limited to, the Internet, retail outlets, wholesale outlets, and telephone centers. As technology improves, more customers utilize multiple distribution channels in making purchases. For example, a person purchasing an airline ticket may check prices on several Web sites, and then purchase a ticket by placing a telephone call to a service representative. Similarly, a car purchaser may research products on the Internet and ultimately purchase a vehicle at a dealership. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for offers to be different from one distribution channel to the next. For example, an airline ticket deal posted on the Internet may be unavailable for telephone purchasers.
Customers become frustrated when one distribution channel cannot honor specials or deals disclosed by another distribution channel within a given business entity. Effective integration of business channels becomes even more important when a business incorporates some form of customer incentive program, such as frequent flyer miles. Customers can become quite upset when a promised incentive is not recognized by a chosen distribution channel. In fact, inconsistencies relating to customer loyalty programs among the various distribution channels of a business can have the net result of alienating, not rewarding, customers.
To limit discrepancies among channels, conventional CRM systems attempt to share data. This sharing usually occurs between otherwise autonomous applications across a network, wherein each application maintains its own distinct implementation for data management and graphical user interface (GUI) functions. Implementation and maintenance expenses relating to conventional CRM systems composed of many discrete applications, however, can be substantial.
Consider, for example, likely implementation costs associated with a conventional CRM system. Initially, a CRM implementer needs to research retail solutions to determine which, if any, satisfy the needs of the business for which the CRM system is intended. Should no acceptable solution exist, custom software must be developed. Furthermore, special care is necessary to ensure that all chosen CRM applications are compatible with one another. Often compatibility requires that information be converted from one format to another. For example, a Web site may utilize markup language formatted data, such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format, while a retail application can utilize a database format, such as Structured Query Language (SQL).
Additionally, complications necessary for implementing a CRM system can result in extensive maintenance and training costs. To avoid these costs, businesses often make compromise choices that limit data sharing among the various CRM applications. Accordingly, information is not perfectly synchronized among CRM applications, resulting in different information being available through different distribution channels. Such inconsistencies can result in discrepancies among distribution channels and customer dissatisfaction.